Welsh farmers face a funding fall of over 70% in agri-environment support as Glastir contracts come to an end in December, NFU Cymru has warned.
Over the past few days, the union said many farmers had expressed concern over the loss in income as Glastir ends and the Habitat Wales Scheme begins in January 2024.
The Welsh government has been told to 'urgently review' the new scheme and address the economic and technical matters that were of concern to farmers.
Applications for Habitat Wales Scheme opened from 29 September, with contracts commencing in January 2024.
However, details around the budget for the scheme are still unclear, despite Glastir Advanced, Commons and Organic area-based contracts ending in December 2023.
NFU Cymru said it had received 'no reassurances' that Habitat Wales would match levels of income currently received through Glastir.
The union warned that this level of ambiguity was 'unsettling' for farmers considering joining.
President Aled Jones said: "A great deal of those raising concerns have committed to government-backed agri-environment delivery on their farms for nearly 30 years.
"Many farmers report that they will face a reduction in funding of 70% and more in agri-environment support by entering into the new scheme.
“Our members have also highlighted errors in the habitat maps published on RPW Online, we have raised these issues with Welsh government and hope they can be addressed."
The Habitat Wales Scheme will offer farmers an opportunity to maintain and increase the area of habitat land under management across Wales.
It is expected to provide a payment per hectare of eligible habitat land, including habitat land previously under management in 2023.
It will be available to all eligible farmers, including Glastir Advanced, Commons and Organic farmers.
But Mr Jones said the Welsh government had chosen not to provide a consultation or a comprehensive impact assessment regarding the scheme.
He said: “I take no pleasure in seeing the concerns we raised being realised on the opening of the application period for the Habitat Wales Scheme.
"It is farming families, rural communities and the continued delivery of agri-environment work on farms across Wales that are the losers in all of this."
